Pizza in the West Loop (of Chicago)

Theres something about Friday nights that just scream Pizza to me, I know for a lot of people there Pizza day is Sunday, to enjoy with the football games, but for me Pizza is just the perfect Friday evening meal. I think it’s because after a week of work the thought of going home and cooking is just so far out of the realm of possibilty for me so Pizza is a great option, even if I make it fresh at home it’s one of the least labor intensive meals I make. Luckily for me though I live in an area with plenty of options for having someone else make my pizza.

Lets go ahead and address the elephant in the room… so I’m from Chicago, hence I must ONLY eat deep dish right? Wrong. Chicago does do amazing deep dish, but we’ve got plenty of other options as well, in my neighborhood alone I can get everything from deep dish to cracker thin.

Vincenzos, a sports bar which happens to serve a crowd favorite pizza. The crust can run alittle thin for my likings, but plenty of people enjoy their pies. Fun fact.. This places will likely be seen A LOT on the next season of the Real World as one of the housemates works there.

Old Fifth takes a new approach to pizza in Chicago offering up a few different options including their double decker. They also happen to have a HUGE wall of Whiskey. This establishment is another that will likely get some screen time on the Real World because not one… but TWO of the cast members work here as well.

Pizza East is housed within the SoHo house which opened in the last few months in the west loop. The pizza was alittle too “floppy” for me, i prefer a crust that can stand up a bit more, but the sauce and toppings are pretty delicious.

Parlor Pizza Bar happens to be the newest addition to the West Loop pizza scene after a very long drawn out remodeling that left us hoping they would open at many different points over the summer. The pizza itself was great, the staff is clearly still learning and the management has placed a few too many tables inside for truly comfortable dining in my opinon.

Nellcote isn’t technically a pizzeria and my significant other would make a distinction between Pizza and flat breads.. but if i’m in the mood for pizza this is one of the first places that comes to mind. The toppings are very high quality but the standout for them is their dough, which is made with flour milled in house (which isn’t all that common!)

Giordanos happens to be the only “chicago style” pizza currently available in the West Loop (sorta) located closer to the UIC campus than most West Loop destinations this location works in a quick pinch for the traditional deep dish.

But that’s not all, we’ve also got plenty of places on the horizon as well including one that comes highly recommended by friends which sadly looks to be quite a ways off still, as well as Chicago favorite Lou Malnatis! No matter where you decide to eat I can almost promise that you’ll have a great slice!